The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection Mr Zhang Lijun made a statement that “China will limit the construction and expansion of chemical plants and launch a nationwide safety campaign to target all enterprises involved in the production and use of hazardous chemicals” on 15 Sept 2011.
According to Mr Zhang, the environment in China is threatened by hazardous chemical pollution. Since January last year, the Ministry has dealt with 239 environmental emergencies caused by chemical spills, some of which concerned water safety.
As a result, the Ministry will tighten the policy and give stricter punishments to those who build plants without environmental approval and the factories which are put into operation without an examination of their pollution control measures. “The MEP will no longer accept applications for any new projects related to the production and storage of hazardous chemicals outside industrial parks from 15 Sept,” said Mr Zhang, “the country will raise the environmental standards of chemical plants and tighten penalties and fines on chemical factory owners who break the law.”
On the other hand, in the wake of several serious chemical pollution incidents, the Ministry will start a nationwide inspection campaign of the producers of hazardous chemicals who have obtained operating licenses for production.
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